Tommy DeVito with Giants

As the Jets and Giants faced off on Sunday afternoon, a former Syracuse quarterback heard his name called for the first time on an NFL stage. Tommy DeVito, who played at Syracuse from 2018-2021, took the field following an injury to the second Giants starting quarterback of the season. How does a struggling Syracuse quarterback transfer and find himself possibly starting in the NFL?

During DeVito’s freshman year in 2018 he was the main backup quarterback for Eric Dungey, making his big splash in a game against North Carolina. DeVito entered the game for Dungey late in the fourth and threw for three touchdowns  in a double overtime win. 

“DeVito came in with gigantic expectations, he was an Elite 11 quarterback and was supposed to be a seamless transition from Eric Dungey's outstanding career,” said Owen Valentine, who covered DeVito at WAER. “His freshman year the expectations stayed high, he came in multiple times for Dungey when he was struggling or shaken up and every time his name was called DeVito stepped up.”

As Dungey departed, DeVito earned the starting quarterback position his sophomore year, leading the team to a 5-7 record, throwing for 19 touchdowns. To many, following the team’s success in 2018, this left a lot to be desired. “When he took over the starting spot, he never seemed to have the same spark he did in 2018,” said Valentine. “That could have been a result from the departures of the team or offensive line struggles.”

In 2020, DeVito had a season-ending injury against Duke, after starting the first four games of the season. He redshirted his Junior year.

In 2021, Devito lost his starting position on the team. “He battled an injury and came back to similar struggles, this time around Syracuse had another option, Mississippi State transfer Garret Shrader,” said Valentine. “They split time for a little bit but Shrader showed a little more spark that the fan base was looking for following recent success.”

After his 2021 season, he transferred to University of Illinois. DeVito started all 13 games, had 15 touchdown passes, and ran 6 touchdowns. DeVito also had a career high in passing yards when facing Chattanooga. It was one of the best seasons of my college career.

When DeVito first joined the New York Giants, he was an undrafted free agent and on the practice squad.

“When he made the Giants roster, I’m not sure any Syracuse fan truly expected that to be a possibility after his career in orange. Following a few injuries, the shock continues as DeVito takes the field in the NFL. If you lined up every Syracuse football fan and asked them in 2021 if they thought DeVito was an NFL quarterback, I’m not sure anyone would say yes.”

Tommy DeVito made his NFL debut game on October 29, 2023. During the second quarter Tyrod Taylor was taken out of the game and to the hospital from an injury to the ribs. Third quarter DeVito came in and at the 8:59 mark, he ran 6 yards and scored a touchdown, making the score 10-7. 

The Giants lost the game to the Jets 13-10. This week, the Giants signed Matt Barkley and also elevated DeVito to the active roster. What they will do on Sunday against the Raiders remains up in the air.